Pretty cool pics Dickey's Instagram just posted - Dickey sitting in with Muddy Waters. I wonder if that's the same Strat Dickey played during the Jack Pearson-era
Muddy was a big inspiration on the Allman Brothers and the Rolling Stones maybe even more. They put a live version of Trouble No More which sold over 2 million copies so Muddy made some good money with that.
In 2005 or so I saw Great Southern and Dickey played slide on Come Into My Kitchen with that or a similar guitar. During the break I saw Andy Aledort near me at the concession stand so I asked him if that was the same Strat Dickey played during the Jack Pearson era and Andy said it was. And he said Dickey has owned it forever ( obviously meaning a good while), it's a 1956 hardtail and got it to play some rhythm guitar in the studio. And Andy said Dickey got mad a Gibson twice in the 1990s and the second time about when Warren was leaving, Dickey had a hot rail pickup put in the neck position to make it sound more like a Gibson and used it and a yellow Strat for several years. I think the first time Dickey got mad a Gibson he got a couple of Paul Reed Smith guitars.
Of course in 2001 Gibson got him back when they came out with a Dickey signature Les Paul.
I think this is it too. Could be wrong and it must be in the late 70's.
https://images.app.goo.gl/DY2SUywy9XEpHpwe9
Duane Betts has that Strat now plus the 2001 Dickey signature Les Paul ( Duane's main ax) and Dickey's way cool 1961 Gibson ES-335 dot neck. I love the sound of that guitar
I got close to those three guitars in Blacksburg, VA when Allman Betts played. That 1956 Strat has heavy road wear on the neck and body too up where your right arm touches the body. Somebody apparently about wore it out before Dickey got it. Duane Betts said a friend of Johnny Stachela put single coils back in it. Duane Betts said he has two outstanding Gibsons that Dickey had so he didn't want the Strat to sound similar to a Gibson.
Probably the same guitar as this one - I wonder if that makes it the Strat he played on the first album. Never put that together.
https://twitter.com/DickeyBetts/status/1056027281989296129?s=20&t=sJn3u02RdmAQWSz8abIkUA
@porkchopbob The first several times I saw the Allman Brothers Dickey played a Strat. The one in that picture with Duane is one with a rosewood neck. The 1956 in the great pictures of Muddy with Dickey plus while Jack was in the band and the first year with Derek has a maple neck. Light color. One is a brighter sound and the other, rosewood I believe, has more bottom end. I'm not sure there is a stock Strat now. All the different necks and size necks and headstocks. And different pickups can be ordered including just two P-90s or Humbuckers doing away with 3 pickups. Jimmy Herring has one with just two big Humbuckers.
Dickey had a maple neck then too but I think that is the one he got from Gregg for an old car in late 1969. About 1976 Dickey gave it to Eddy Shaver who died of a drug overdose about 2000 and Willie Nelson has the guitar now. Dickey also have Eddie a Gibson ES-335 that belonged to Duane Allman but Eddy didn't use it much. Willie Nelson has it too at last report.
By summer of 1970 Dickey liked the tone Duane was getting with his Goldtop Les Paul so Dickey got an SG also because Clapton played one in Cream. It had a tail piece for vibrato the first time I saw it but soon it was gone. Wasn't long until Dickey had a Les Paul. Red Dog said it was in Detroit but Dickey didn't like it so he got another. Went through several until he found Goldie in a pawnshop in Manhattan in 1974. That may be when he got that 1956 Strat. The Strat also looks like the guitar Danny Toler was playing in Great Southern in the 1970s. When the Allman Brothers got back together in late 1978, Dickey gave Toler the sunburst Les Paul Dickey played on Fillmore East. Toler used it all though the 1980's when he was in Gregg's band and on I'm No Angle. But to my disappointment about 2006 or 7 Danny sold it. It should be at the Big House.
@porkchopbob Here is Dickey in the Jokers. I'm not that familiar with Fender guitars beyond the Strat and Tele. Is this a Mustang? Maybe a Jazz Master?
https://images.app.goo.gl/J3tbYvRM2jfHPFzg6
Who’s the guy in the middle in that picture?
@cmgst34 He is a left-handed bass player. For the Jokers. https://images.app.goo.gl/xsPawHuugZJ3iXyV6
Trying to find the name.
@cmgst34 Only thing I found so far is his name is Tom and he passed away about 6 years ago. He played a left-handed Fender Jazz bass that is somewhat valuable now. He and Tom, Jr have been on stage with the Allman Brothers.
Supposedly the Jokers were out of Indiana and they were playing in the Bradenton, Florida area and they heard Dickey play and wanted to hire him. But Dickey was on probation for killing a man's steer for a beach side barbecue and Dickey got caught by the police and jailed. Dickey was out of jail but couldn't leave the state of Florida. Tom went to the judge and swore he would be responsible for Dickey and they needed him and the judge agreed and Dickey moved to Indiana until he decided to return to Bradenton.
Rick Derringer saw the band in Indiana and remembered them in a song he wrote.
"There was a band called The Jokers and they were laying it down"
Which photo?
The guy in the middle of the Muddy photo is Jerry Portnoy
The guy in the middle of Jokers photo is Tom Kiefaber
Thanks. I meant the Muddy photo.
Which photo?
The guy in the middle of the Muddy photo is Jerry Portnoy
The guy in the middle of Jokers photo is Tom Kiefaber
I saw Jerry Portnoy once. He was in a Muddy Waters tribute band. These were all guys that had played with Muddy at one time in their careers. In the band that night were Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin, Pinetop Perkins, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and I guess a couple of other guys. I could have swore Sam Lay played in but I looked it up and I don't think so.
The funny thing about it is they were the opener for someone. I can't remember who but I think it was the ABB. I remember this band better than whoever headlined and I had never heard of any of these guys.
Sorry to kind of change the subject but they great. I think everything they played was an old Muddy song.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
@crosseyedcat Thanks for posting Tom's last name. I gave up trying to find it. I guess he told the judge he would keep Dickey in line if would let Dickey join the Jokers and go to Indiana with them. Dickey of course was on probation in Florida at the time.
Listened to this a few days ago. I had heard it before but packaged differently. I think they had a live album in mind so go with The Gregg Allman Tour with guest Cowboy but it never came out.
@porkchopbob Just listened to a Dickey interview about his Collectors acoustic album from 2002. Dickey mentions finally getting his biggest influence and original guitar hero from southern Florida Dave Liles on one of his albums. That Dave is an excellent guitar player and likes western swing style playing.
I had read and heard Dickey brag about Dave Liles before and before the internet and YouTube couldn't find any Dave Liles records at the record stores.
Finally found some Dave Liles on YouTube. Some of it is distorted and poorly recorded and none of it has more than just a few hundred views.
But here is one that sounds good. Toward the end Dave does a hammer on and takes his right hand putting it above the hammer on and pulls the string!!
I've seen Dickey do that many times so must be where Dickey got that lick.
@robertdee Includes a 41min version of In Memory of Elizabeth Reed. If anyone is interested there are liner notes at Wolfgang's Vault https://www.wolfgangs.com/music/dickey-betts/audio/2391-1830.html?tid=22578
